NEW YORK: So many people thronged President Andrew Jackson’s inaugural reception that he was said to have escaped the White House through a window. President John F. Kennedy enlisted a Rat Pack friend, Frank Sinatra.
And, well, the Obamas danced to Beyoncé. But with the pandemic entering a deadlier phase, and Washington on edge after the riot at the Capitol, the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden will be different by necessity. On Wednesday, Biden’s inaugural committee announced that it would hold a prime-time TV event on January 20 with Tom Hanks as host and featuring stars like Justin Timberlake, Jon Bon Jovi, Lady Gaga and JLo to “showcase the American people’s resilience, heroism, and unified commitment to coming together as a nation to heal and rebuild.”